File photo of Nathan Ellis.© BCCI
Chennai Super Kings have been dealt a big blow days ahead of the Indian Premier League 2026. Their star pacer Nathan Ellis is all set to be ruled out of the tournament due to injury. The 31-year-old Australian player has reportedly suffered a hamstring injury and will not be able to make it to the 19th edition of the tournament. The right-arm fast bowler was bought by the five-time champions for Rs 2 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction. His absence leaves a big void to fill in the CSK team.
“It is a big blow for us. Ellis is a crucial bowler, especially in the death overs. We are looking at replacements,” CSK CEO KS Viswanthan told Sportstar on Thursday.
CSK endured an abysmal run last season. In the 14 matches they played, the side suffered defeat in 10 and finished last in the points table.
Ahead of the 2026 season, CSK made some big changes to their squad, with the most notable being the trade of all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran for wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson.
With the 44-year-old superstar MS Dhoni set to play another IPL season, CSK will be aiming to make it a record-extending six titles.
Dhoni had a lacklustre season in IPL 2025, scoring 196 runs at an average of 24.50 and a strike rate of 135.17. His best score was 30 not out. The player even captained CSK after regular skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad missed out due to injury.
The emergence of young, hard-hitting stars Dewald Brevis, Ayush Mhatre and Urvil Patel was a promising facet for the side last season. Ahead of IPL 2026, CSK secured two record-breaking buys in UP all-rounder Prashant Veer and Rajasthan wicketkeeper Kartik Sharma, each for Rs 14.20 crore, making them the most expensive uncapped players in tournament history.
CSK begin their IPL 2026 campaign with a match against Rajasthan Royals on March 30 in Guwahati.